Manila: Senator Joel Villanueva wants to increase funding for the establishment of medical schools in state universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide to accommodate more scholars under the Doktor para sa Bayan law. In a statement on Wednesday, Villanueva said the allocation of the seed fund for the development of medical schools of SUCs in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) remained at PHP150 million, the same level as when it was first funded in 2021.

According to Philippines News Agency, Villanueva highlighted that the budget for the current year, 2025, has significantly decreased to PHP150 million compared to the higher amounts allocated for the fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. Despite an increase in higher education institutions offering medicine, Villanueva expressed concern about the program's future due to inadequate funding.

The Seed Fund, which started at PHP150 million in 2021, was increased to PHP250 million in 2022 and 2023, and further to PHP275 million in 2024. However, it returned to PHP150 million for the current year, as noted by Villanueva.

During the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) budget deliberation on Monday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian assured Villanueva that proposed amendments include raising the seed fund to PHP440 million. This increase aims to enhance the commission's capacity to establish medical schools across various regions in the country.

Villanueva emphasized the importance of supporting SUCs financially to encourage scholars to study within their regions. He stated, "If we have one medical school per region and it becomes a center of excellence, our scholars will not hesitate to go there and study, instead of leaving their respective regions."